Denture



Aug. 8, 1939. I ZULL 2,168,967

DENTURE Filed May s, 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Inventor 2a fiumm M 19m Attorneys Aug. 8, 1939. F. M. ZULL 2,168,967

' DENTURE Filed May 8, 19s? 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Q U viii/i i I 1),: I

Inventor A iiorneys Patented Aug. 8, 1939 U NlTEos ArES PATENT oFFicE 2 Claims.

This invention relates to dentures provided with suction cups for holding them in place, the object of the invention being to so form the parts that the cups will effectually hold the dentures in position and the method of forming the dentures will insure the cups being in the proper position to performtheir functions. V

This invention'also consists in certain-other features of construction and in'. the combination and arr-angementof several partsgvto-be hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings andspecifically pointed out in the appended claims.

In describing the invention in detail, reference will be had to the accompanying drawings wherein like characters denote like or corresponding parts throughout the several views, and in which:

Figure 1 is a plan View of an impression for a partial denture with the cups therein.

Figure 2 is a section on the line 22 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a plan view of the model formed from the impression with the shields in position.

Figure 4 is a section on the line 4-4 of Figure 3. Figure 5 is a plan of the denture with the bolts in position.

Figure 6 is a section on the line 66 of Figure 5.

Figure 7 is a plan view of the denture with the cups in position.

Figure 8 is a longitudinal sectional view through the completed denture.

Figure 9 is an elevation of the suction cup with the nuts attached to the bolts.

Figure 10 is a sectional view through Figure 9. Figure 11 is a view of the screen of wire mesh attached to the head of the bolt.

Figure 12 is a view of the shield. Figure 13 is a view of one of the bolts. As shown in Figures 9, 10 and 11 each cup is composed of a threaded stud or bolt I having a disk 2 of wire mesh soldered or welded thereto with the rubber cup 3 enclosing the disk and that end of the stud to which the disk is connected. Of course, the cup and the disk are of the shape 4 shown in Figures 9 and 10. A cap nut 4 is adapted to be threaded to the exposed part of the lug or bolt I, this nut being provided with a groove 5. The wire mesh or screen reinforces the cup and provides eflicient means for connecting the cup to with the stud or bolt I and it renders the cup more effective in operation.

The cups are placed in position on the gums by the dentist and he; of course, places them in various positions until the proper suction is se- 55 cured. If the cup is not in proper position it will automatically pop up due to the arched screening in the cup and the indentation in the gums near the mar-gin of the cup. By slightly moving the cup proper-suction can be obtained. After expanding and contracting the cup it will take a slightly higher center to relieve future pressure and give the correct angle of its center connection to the gums. r

'After the cups are properly placed the impression material is placed against the gums by meansiof the. usual tray- 6, shown in Figure 2, and this-will give-theimpression l with the cap nuts 4 embedded in. the material and the cups located in the groove, as shown in Figures 1 and 2, and in pressing the material against the gums the outline of the cups will be impressed in the material as shown at B in Figure 2.

After the impression material has set or dried the cups are unscrewed from the cap nuts and bolts or screws 9, such as shown in Figure 13, are 2 threaded in the cap nuts. Then model material is poured against the member I to form the model II] as shown in Figures 3 and 4. Some of the model material will enter the recesses 8, formed in the impression material by the cups, -.i and these portions of the model material will form abutments, as shown in Figure 4. After the model material has set the impression material I is separated therefrom so as to free the cap nuts and then these nuts are removed from the 3H screws 9 and the shields i I placed over the screws and the nuts replaced. These shields are slightly larger than the cups so that they cover the abutments and extend slightly beyond said abutments. These shields act to form impressions for the cups so as to permit the cups to swell with use.

The denture I2 is then formed on the model In and, of course, the nuts 4 will be embedded in the denture material as shown in Figure 6 and 40 the shields will form the impressions l3 in the bottom of the grooves of the denture. Then the model is broken and removed, leaving the screws 9 exposed. Then these screws are removed and the studs I of the caps 3 screwed into the nuts 4 as shown in Figures '7 and 8.

The cups are located in the correct position to act to effectually hold the denture in place as the correct positions for the cups are found by the dentist before he proceeds with the formation of the denture.

It is thought from the foregoing description that the advantages and novel features of the invention will be readily apparent.

It is to be understood that changes may be 5.5

made in the construction and in the combination and arrangement of the several parts, provided that such changes fall within the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. The herein described method of forming a denture with a gum receiving groove and a plurality of gum engaging vacuum cups in the groove, comprising in first placing a plurality of vacuum cups, each provided with a threaded shank and a nut on the shank, in correct positions and in spaced relation, on the gum, then taking an impression on the gum, which embeds the nuts in the impression material and cause the cups to make recesses in the bottom of the groove of the impression material, then removing the cups and their shanks, leaving the nuts in the impression material, then threading screws into the nuts to position the screws in the groove of the impression material, then pouring model material against the form made by the impression material, which embeds the screws in said model material, some of the model material entering the recesses previously formed by the cups, and then destroying the form to expose the nuts, whereby said nuts will be embedded in the denture when the same is formed from the model, to receive the threaded shanks of the cups, and the raised portions of the model, formed by the model material entering the recesses formed by the cups in the impression material, will form recesses in the denture around the cups.

2. The herein described method of forming a denture with a gum receiving groove and a plurality of gum engaging vacuum cups in the groove, comprising in first placing a plurality of vacuum cups, each provided with a threaded shank and a nut on the shank, in correct positions and in spaced relation, on the gum, then taking an impression of the gum, which embeds the nuts in the impression material and cause the cups to make recesses in the bottom of the groove of the impression material, then removing the cups and their shanks, leaving the nuts in the impression material, then threading screws into the nuts to position the screws in the groove of the impression material, then pouring model material against the form made by the impression material, which embeds the screws in said model material, some of the model material entering the recesses previously formed by the cups, then destroying the form to expose the nuts, then removing the nuts and placing on the screws cup-shaped shields to cover those portions of the model material which entered the recesses formed by the cups, said shields being larger then such portions of the model material, then replacing the nuts, whereby said nuts will be embedded in the denture when the same is formed from the model, to receive the threading shanks of the cups and the shields will form recesses in the denture to receive portions of the cups.

FREDERICK M. ZULL. 

